Automatic liquid-testing apparatus.



W. RAABE.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID TESTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1910.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

W. RAABE.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID TESTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION rmm 11,111.16. 1910;

978,644. Patentd Dec. 13, 1910.

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AUTOMATIC LIQUID TESTING APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED IIAB. 15, 1910. 97 44, Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER RAABE, OF BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 GUSTAV DIE'IZ, OFBRUNS- WICK, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID-TESTING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Van ER RAABE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, Empire of Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Liquid-Testing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automaticallytesting condensing water and other liquids as to the contents of theiradmixtures. In sugar and other factories the condensing water is testedas to its contents in sugar before being used again, for which purpose acertain amount of the water (1 cubic centimeter) is filled into a testtube whereupon the same amount of sulfuric acid and a few drops ofa-naphthot, thymolor camphor solution are added. As is known in the artif there is any sugar in the water, the water is colored by the reagentwhere it comes in contact with the sulfuric acid.

The object of the improvements is to provide a testing apparatus wherebythis test is automatically performed, so that the water can easily andcontinually be controlled. WVhile in the following for the purpose ofexplaining the invention reference will be made to the method of testingwater as to its contents in sugar, I wish it to be understood, that myinvention is not limited to such use of the apparatus, and that the samemay be used for testing water or liquids which contain other admixtures,in which case the reagents referred to hereinafter are substituted byother reagents, such for example as silver nitrate, barium chlorid,sulfuric acid, etc.

For the purpose of explalnmg the invention an example embodying the samehas been. shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same lettersof reference have been used in all the views to indicate correspondingparts.

In said drawingsFigure 1, is a front view of the apparatus partly insection, Fig. 2, is a plan of Fig. 1, Fig. 3, is a detail view, Fig. 4,is an enlarged side view, partly in section, of a modification of thecontrolling device for the liquid supply. Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 4 of a further modification.

Referring to the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, aframe a adapted to be rotated about its perpendicu- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 1910.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 549,429.

lar axis by means of a suitable clock mechanism carries a plurality oftest tubes or glasses 1) about its circumference. The number of the testtubes mounted on the frame is different according to various conditionsand I have found that 30 tubes give satisfactory results. Each of thesaid test tubes is provided with a siphon 0 whereby after havingreceived its water supply it is automati -ally emptied to a certainlevel, a lower valve (Z constructed in the form of a cock or a hingeddisk, and a controlling member 0 which in the exam )le shown consists ofan abutment preferably formed with a cam surface. The tubes cooperatewith three receptacles f, g, 1 1., through which the liquid to betested, and testing liquids, in the example referred to a few drops ofa-11t1.1)l1 thol-, thymol-, or camphor solution acting as a reagent, andsulfuric acid are admitted, and when the frame a. is rotated by means ofits clock mechanism each of the test tubes are successively moved belowthe discharge ends of the said receptacles. When a test tube is thusbeing advanced below the discharge ends of the said receptacles, itscontrolling abutment 6 moves a rockable part 7" of the discharge tube 7over the test tube. In the normal position of the discharge tube 7" theliquid flows into a pipe i. By means of a measuring cock controlled fromthe clock mechanism by means of a toothed gearing 7c, 76 a certainamount of sulfuric acid is supplied to the test tube through a tube g,and finally the receptacle it admits a few drops of the reagent into thetest tube throu h its drop tube h. By

properly dimensioning the discharge openings of the receptacles g and11, the amount of the reagent and the sulfuric acid can be determined soas to remain the same when being open a certain time. The amount of thewater subjected to the test is controlled by the siphon c which removesany water which is in excess of the desired amount. The abutments a oneof which is provided for each of the test tubes 1) may have any desiredform.

Preferably the test tubes are emptied at a point which is located ashort distance before the filling point, so that the said tubes areemptied after having passed substantially over nearly the wholecircumference of the frame a. Thereby a large number of the test tubesis always available to de- :1, charge into the said trough.

termine the result of the test made during a certain period of time. Theclock mechanism is equipped with a dial a by means of which theattendant can easily ascertain at what times the water (in the examplereferred to) contained sugar. The test tubes are automatically emptied.For this purpose the valve (Z provided at the bottom of the test tube isautomatically opened by striking against an abutment or cam face Z.Thereby the contents of the test tube are discharged into a receptacle1% which in the example shown in Fig. 2 is constructed in the form of asegmental trough corresponding to the circular form of the frame a, so

that also the residue of the water may dropinto the said trough. Alsothe tube 2' and the siphon 0 may be so directed as to dis- Upon furtherrevolution of the frame 0; the valve (Z slides off the cam face so thatit is moved in its closing position by means of a weight (Z At the pointwhere the test tubes are emptied a flushing pipe a may be provided whichsupplies a flushing liquid either continually, or at the proper moment.By providing a long plane surface Z on the cam face Z over which theweight (Z slides after the tube 7) has been opened, the said tube isheld open long enough to permit the flushing liquid to flow out of thesame.

In the example shown the test tubes 5 are mounted on a frame a which isdirectly mounted on the clock mechanism. But I wish it to be understood,that my invention is not limited to such construction. In the exampleshown in Fig. l, also the discharge tube k of the receptacle itsupplying the reagent is connected to the measuring cock g and thelatter is formed with two grooves g and g, the sizes of which are suchas to supply the proper amounts of theliquids to the test tube 5. Uponeach complete or partial rotation the cock 9 takes a definite amount ofliquid from the receptacles g or it and discharges the same into thedischarge pipes' and h To prevent the liquids from be ing vehementlythrown into the test tube 6 the lower ends of the tubes 9 and h arehorizontally bent, so that the liquids flowing from the measuring cock 9are thrown against the bottom parts of the said tubes from whence theyflow gradually to the discharge ends of the tubes. If desired, themeasuring cock may be provided with a third cavity as shown by Fig. 5for controlling the flow of the water to the discharge tube f I claimherein as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for automatically testing liquids, the combinationwith a plurality of test tubes, of automatic means to successivelysupply the liquid to be tested and a re- 2. In an apparatus forautomatically testing liquids, the combination, with a frame adapted tobe rotated about its perpendicular axis, and a plurality of test tubesmounted circumferentially on said frame, of automatic means tosuccessively supply the liquid to be tested and a reagent to said testtubes, and automatic means to successively remove said liquid andreagent from the test tubes.

3. In an apparatus for automatically testing liquids, the combinationwith a frame adapted to be rotated about its perpendicular axis, aplurality of test tubes mounted circumferentially on said frame, each ofsaid test tubes being provided with a siphon adapted to withdraw theliquid to a certain level and a valve at its bottom, receptaclesdisposed above said test tubes and extending with their discharge endsabove the path of the same, automatic means to supply a liquid from eachof said receptacles to said test tubes, and automatic means to open thevalve provided at the bottom of each of said test tubes, said openingmeans being disposed at a point away from the discharge ends of saidreceptacles.

4:. In an apparatus for automatically testing liquids, the combinationwith a frame adapted to be rotated about its perpendicular axis, and aplurality of test tubes disposed circumferentially on said frame, ofautomatic means to successively supply the liquid to be tested to saidtubes, an automatically actuated measuring cock discharging into saidtest tubes, means to supply a testing liquid to said measuring cock, andautomatic means to empty said test tubes.

5. In an apparatus for automatically test ing liquids, the combinationwith a frame WVALTER RAABE.

Witnesses:

WVILHELM LEHRKE, JULIUs SnoKEL.

